Now that We're Family
by KeepingUpDisappearances
Summary: Frasier, Roz, and Alice are adjusting to being a family, which is wonderful but not always easy. Loose sequel to my fic 'I See the Light' with self-contained stories that will be written as they come to me.
1. Aquarium Blues

**A/N: I wanted to do a sequel to 'I See the Light' but decided to do individual stories instead of a long story with one plot.**

* * *

"Tell me again why I agreed to this?" Frasier shouted over the chatter of a dozen children, all around eight or nine years old.

"Because you love me…and it was inevitable," Roz shouted back. "Every parent is expected to chaperone at some poi—"

Whatever she was going to say next was cut off by a shriek from a fleeing child; in hot pursuit was a rather toothy girl who kept snapping her jaws.

"_Becky!_" Roz growled. "Stop biting people! You're not a shark! Now, apologize to Linda!"

Frasier looked upwards in a "what did I get myself into?" gesture as he, Roz, and two more chaperones herded Alice and the other students in her science class into the Seattle Aquarium. Wrangling these children was harder than he had thought. When Frederick had been Alice's age, he'd gone to an exclusive private academy where the children had been marshaled into an almost robotic state of decorum. Seeing this kids be—well, kids—was a bit of an adjustment.

Ah, the things you did for love. It had been two months since his and Roz's wedding, and working hard to show both Roz and Alice how important they were to him.

Alice, for her part, was very fond of and affectionate toward Frasier. Roz believed that Alice's strong response was due to Frasier providing what she had never gotten from the biological father she rarely heard from, much less saw in person.

The voice of Mrs. Cataldo, fellow chaperone and substitute science teacher, jolted Frasier out of his musing.

"Students! Listen your chaperones so they can keep you safe! Dr. Crane, you help Frank with the boys. Mrs. Crane, make sure Becky doesn't bite anyone again."

There was a pause. "_Mrs. Crane?_"

"Huh?" Roz looked back, startled. "Oh, you mean me!"

"Still not used to it, are you, _Mrs. Crane_," Frasier teased as the children and their chaperones moved forward.

He was interrupted by a dark-haired boy.

"Dr. Crane? I have to use the bathroom!"

"Again?" Frasier protested, but off the look of another chaperone, he smiled apologetically at the boy. "Okay, Jared. Right away. Frank, we'll catch up as soon as we can."

Frank snickered.

"You've never done this sort of thing before, have you? Don't worry, after a few times you get used to it. See you at Fish of Puget Sound!"

"A few times!" Frasier called over his shoulder as he took the little boy to the men's room. "Who says I'm doing this again?"

Things were much calmer when Frasier and Jared returned to the group.

"My dad and I went fishing last week and he caught a fish thiiis big!" Alice's best friend, Sarah, was telling her. "Does your stepdad ever go fishing?"

"He went a long time ago with my Grandpa Martin and Uncle Niles. That was before he married my mom, though. Grandpa Martin says he and Uncle Niles lost his car keys in the lake and they almost ended up stranded on the ice."

"Thank you, Alice, that will do," Frasier said, playfully yanking Alice's dark brown hair; Alice, however, was not amused.

"Pa! I thought you and Mom agreed not to talk to me when I'm with my class!"

Frasier nodded mutely and walked away. Frederick had been the same way at one point, embarrassed to be seen in public with him or Lilith—only that hadn't happened until Frederick had hit his 'teens. It appeared that Alice was starting early on the "my parents are so embarrassing!" phase.

"Look, kids! There's the shark!" Mrs. Cataldo said to the students. "Does anyone know what it's called?"

"Yeah, a dogfish!" a lanky boy named Alex said. "_Ow!_ Mrs. Crane! Becky bit me!"

"Oh, for God's—" Roz began. "BECKY! GET BACK HERE NOW! NICE PEOPLE DON'T BITE!"

"I'm not a people, I'm a shark!" Becky yelled, now cornering a girl who looked too scared to run.

Frasier intervened, gently grabbing Becky's arm.

"Becky, look at me when I'm talking to you," he said sternly. "Very good. Now, do you know what happens to little girls who bite people?"

"What?" Becky asked.

"They get fed to the shark!" Frasier answered dramatically.

Becky looked terrified.

"Okay, okay! I promise I won't bite anymore!"

By the time they got to the last exhibit, Frasier felt as if taking care of the shark would be easier. He had had to chase one girl all the way back to the gift shop; Jared had been so excited to see the otters that he'd run into the glass of the aquarium—fortunately without serious injury; at lunch, one of Becky's 'victims' had started a ketchup fight with her. Both children had bad aim, and Frasier ended up in the men's room for the better part of five minutes, scrubbing ketchup out of his suit.

"I told you to wear something more casual!" Roz couldn't help taunting him.

"Thank you, Roz. I'm sure you're enjoying being right," Frasier said dryly.

After lunch, the children were calmer and Frasier felt more optimistic as they headed to the aviary. In an attempt to be more involved, he tried to strike up a conversation with a girl who insisted on being called 'Birdy'.

"Isn't that penguin cool? It looks like a little man in a tuxedo."

'Birdy' turned around and stared at Frasier as if he was stupid.

"_That's_ not a penguin!" she said indignantly. "Look at its wings! It's a flying bird! Penguin wings are like flippers!"

"Of course. How silly of me," Frasier said, at a loss for words. He pointed at small black and white bird with a yellow crest. "Is that a kind of murre, too?"

Birdy giggled—and not nicely.

"That's a _puffin_, Dr. Crane! It's not related to murres at all!"

"Hey!"

Alice's voice startled both Frasier and Birdy.

"That's enough!" Alice shouted at Birdy; in this fiery mood she looked even more like her mother than ever. "You're so mean! My dad was just trying to be nice!"

"I thought he was your _step_dad," Birdy said; her voice was polite, but Alice still looked mad.

"I know he's not my 'real' father, but he's just like a dad to me!" Alice said proudly, and gave Frasier a big smile. "And if you've got a problem with him, you have to get through me first! Come on, Papa, we don't need _her!_"

_Like mother, like daughter,_ Frasier thought, grinning to himself; Alice would never back down from a fight. Touched and surprised by Alice's words, he forgot the chaos that had happened earlier.

This wasn't such a bad day, after all.

* * *

**A/N: I've actually had this story laying around for a while. It's challenging writing a story with Frasier, Roz, and Alice as a family since Fras and Roz didn't get together in the series (boo). More stories will be added as they come to me.  
**

**The details of the setting are taken from the Seattle Aquarium website but the story is loosely based on when I went to California's Monterey Bay Aquarium and had to dodge "herds" of schoolchildren. I spent most of the time at the bird exhibits and trying to spot wild murres from the observation deck over the bay. No luck, but I did get up close with a gull I'd been hoping to see (if it isn't obvious by now, I'm a hardcore birdwatcher).**


	2. Hike to Perdition

Frasier tried to ignore the taunting grin on his wife's face as he trudged up a wooded trail. He mustered as much dignity as possible, trying to convince her (and himself) that he was not as out of shape as it appeared. With a gallant effort, he summoned his strength and caught up to Roz, who was very obviously trying not to laugh.

"You don't—have to look—so smug," Frasier panted as they continued up the path.

"Hey, it was either this or the Cougars game," Roz said, referencing a football match at the nearby Washington State University. "There's not a lot to do in this area."

"Between passing out and supporting a violent game played for the sake of bragging rights, I suppose this is better," Frasier said humorously.

They went over a rise and came to a flat, grassy clearing; they were at the top of the butte that overlooked eastern Washington's vast wheat country. A patchwork of green fields and golden acres of ripe wheat spread to the blue horizon. It was nothing like Frasier and Roz had ever seen. It didn't have the majesty or grandeur of the forests and mountains around Seattle, but it did have an intangible charm all its own.

"Now, Roz, I'm going to say something, and I hope you won't say 'I told you so', because I'll admit it first. This hike was absolutely worth it."

"Please, Frasier, we're not in middle school anymore. I wouldn't say that—out loud," Roz answered mischievously. "Now, let's sit on this log for a while. Alice is spending almost the whole afternoon with Jen."

A comfortable silence fell over them as they gazed across the landscape. The quiet was more meaningful than any conversation could have been, especially when Roz marked the time with an impulsive kiss that became deeper and longer.

Too soon, an alarm on Roz's watch beeped.

"Time to go back in town and pick up Alice," she announced, rising.

Frasier rose to follow her, but as he took a few strides he faltered, feeling a shot of pain go up his legs. Perhaps the hike had taken more out of him than he cared to admit. Fortunately, Roz had her back to him, and Frasier vowed that she would not discover that he was so unfit that a three-mile hike should leave him hobbling about. Through great effort, he managed to fake a natural gait, though every step was misery. It took a good deal of perseverance, but he didn't want to make his wife worry—or look weak in front of her.

Hours later, they were back from the college town of Pullman, where Alice had been visiting a friend whose family moved away from Seattle. It had been a wonderful afternoon for the whole family.

Unfortunately, Frasier's condition had not improved by the time they were back at Elliot Bay Towers. When he winced upon exiting the car, he had to quickly cover.

"Just a mosquito bite," he lied, scratching his leg for good measure. To his relief, Roz bought his excuse.

* * *

When Frasier awoke the next morning, his legs felt as if they'd turned to lead. This time, he was unable to force himself to walk normally, but, fortunately, Roz had gone to the studio early to train a new producer for Gil's show and Alice was on her way to school.

As he didn't have to be at the station until noon, he decided he'd try to "walk it off" by taking Ariel to the park. He ignored the strange looks he got as he limped about like someone recovering from a broken leg. All that mattered was that Roz (and Alice) shouldn't find out.

Frasier was no better by the time he and the family's loyal dog returned, but he managed to disguise his limp yet again, and felt a little better—emotionally, that is, not physically. Surely toughing it out would improve things.

Just as Frasier was about to leave for work, the doorbell rang.

"Daphne! What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised.

"I need a really big favor," she said. "Do you have a moment?"

"I have a little time to spare before I have to be at the studio. I always leave a little time for unforeseen circumstances—such as you," he teased.

"Well, Niles has had a really big caseload this past week, and he's starting to get really stressed. He has managed to clear four days, though, and I found this nice bed and breakfast that I think would be perfect for him to unwind. I just wanted to ask if—,"

"If Roz and I can watch David for a few days?" Frasier said, smiling. "Of course, we will! You didn't need to ask."

"I know, but David's so young and he can be pretty fussy," Daphne said. "I know it won't be easy."

"Don't be silly," Frasier exclaimed. "You've made my brother so happy—I owe the world to you. Besides, you could also use a break, taking care of David and supervising Dad's exercises, too. And I know Roz and Alice won't mind. We all love David."

"Thanks! You're a lifesaver," Daphne said gratefully.

"And I'd better get to the studio. Dennis is a stickler for time," Frasier said, referring to his producer, who was extremely prompt.

Daphne walked along with him, as both were departing. They weren't even halfway down the hall when Daphne spoke up.

"Frasier, what happened?"

Frasier glanced at her, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not walking right, you obviously hurt yourself somehow," Daphne observed as they got onto the elevator.

"What do you mean?" Frasier asked, trying to sound nonchalant but failing.

Daphne playfully hit her brother-in-law. "Don't play dumb. Maybe you can fool everyone else, but you can't fool a physical therapist."

Defeated, Frasier told her the whole story as they made their way out of the building, and even confessed that he would be embarrassed if Roz should discover his lack of fitness. He tried to say it casually, but Daphne sensed what he was really thinking.

"You're afraid Roz will think less of you," she ventured.

Frasier's abashed expression confirmed her statement.

"Be honest with her, Frasier. Besides, you can't go hiding this forever. Talk to her tonight. Oh, and come by our apartment tomorrow and I'll help you with that pesky injury."

That night, after Alice had gone to bed, Frasier and Roz retired to the couch for some one-on-one time, as was their habit, with Ariel sitting next to them—Frasier's 'no dogs on the couch' rule had been relaxed ever since his wife and stepdaughter had moved in. Indeed, he was fonder of the spotted dog than he liked to admit.

"Roz, I have something to tell you," Frasier said.

"Oh, my God, you're breaking up with me!" Roz jested.

"I'm being serious," Frasier insisted, and Roz smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry. It's just that you're usually not so serious when we have this time together."

"I know, but I'm so embarrassed. I've been trying to hide it, but I really did a number on my legs during our hike. I limp worse than Dad does on a bad day when I don't try to hide it."

Roz turned to Frasier, looking at him sympathetically

"Did you think I'd be—disappointed in you?"

Frasier looked down, abashed, and Roz reached over to squeeze his hand reassuringly.

"Don't be silly," she chided gently. "You got up the butte and back, didn't you? And I had a wonderful time with you at the top."

Frasier was relieved.

"I had a wonderful time, too. Maybe we can do this again. I'm sure Alice will want to see Jen again."

"It's a date," Roz smiled.

* * *

**A/N: I was born in eastern Washington state, though I didn't live there long enough to remember it well. However, I have been back to visit family. This story was inspired by a favorite hiking spot of the clan.**

**'Butte' a geological term for a flat-topped hill, BTW.**


	3. Alice's Sleepover (part 1)

Little David—now a year old—was sleeping soundly in his nursery upstairs, while his parents and his cousin Alice were gathered in the living room. Roz and Frasier were at a radio station conference in Spokane, so Alice was staying overnight. She was very excited about it, for Niles and Daphne loved their niece and enjoyed spending time with her.

Alice was presently working on a paper for her music class; each student had to write about a composer and why they liked his or her music. Her uncle was an indispensable source of help as music was one of his passions. With his guidance, Alice felt confident that her 'essay' about John Williams, the movie maestro, would get good marks.

"Now I need to do my history homework," Alice complained shortly after finishing her assignment. "We're studying about the Nixon election. It's so _boring!_"

"Why don't you take a break? I won't tell your mum," Daphne winked. "Niles, why don't you be good and fetch those chocolates for us?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Niles said, rising from the fainting couch. He gave a mock salute as he circled around Daphne and Alice, who were sitting on the floor. Moments later he emerged with a shiny purple tin of brightly wrapped chocolates.

"Wow, those look good. Thank you!" Alice said, turning to her aunt and her uncle in turn as she picked up an orange-wrapped chocolate. "Mmm, oranges!"

She tried one of each kind of chocolate and smiled approvingly. "Those are the best chocolates I ever had!"

"They're from England," Daphne explained. "My brother, Steven, sent them to us."

Niles sat next to his wife and unwrapped a chocolate.

"English food I enjoy? What a miracle!" he teased.

"_Ow!_" he went on as Daphne playfully swatted him. "Kidding. Kidding."

"So, what's happening at school?" Daphne asked conversationally; she never talked down to Alice. Daphne remembered all to well how condescendingly her mother and her brothers had talked to her when she had been a little girl.

"Not good! Things are awful!" Alice said dramatically in that way only young children mastered. "I had a fight with Cassie, my science class partner."

"Oh, no. What happened?" Daphne asked sympathetically.

"There's this boy in my class, Alex, who likes me. Cassie started teasing me and chanting 'Alex likes Alice!' every day! Now some of the other girls say it, too! I yelled at her to stop saying that, and Cassie said 'you can't make me!' So we kept yelling at each other, and Cassie said she'll never talk to me again."

"Aw, everyone has silly fights like that sometimes," Daphne assured her. "I'm sure you and Cassie will make up."

Then she grinned at her niece. "So, about this Alex. What did you say to him? Do you like him back?"

Alice sniffed and rolled her eyes.

"Alex never says _anything_. He's too chicken. It's like he's _afraid_ of me. My mom says some boys are like that when they really like someone. I think it's silly. Don't you, Aunt Daphne?"

Daphne's only answer was a giggle and a wink to Niles, who understood her reaction immediately and frowned in mock disapproval. He knew why Alice's innocent comment had amused his wife so much.

Niles flashed a mischievous grin at Daphne before spoke to Alice.

"Maybe you can tell Alex that someone told you, and he'd _have_ to admit that he likes you."

* * *

**A/N: This is the first part of an Alice-centered story involving Niles, Daphne, and David. The next half (still in progress) will involve David more. I split it into two parts for an easier read.**

**Special thanks to writer Boris Yeltsin for the suggestion to write a story of Alice spending time with Niles, Daphne, and David.**


	4. Alice's Sleepover (Part 2finale)

When the chocolates were finished, a reluctant Alice had to return to her homework. She holed up in Niles' study with her history book and a take-home quiz about the 1968 election. Since it was a middle-school history class, the reading wasn't complex. Just boring, Alice avowed. This was proven when she finished the assignment and promptly fell asleep at her uncle's desk.

The sound of David crying loudly startled Alice awake. She blinked blearily at the desk clock; it was seven o'clock, almost time for dinner. Normally, David was sound asleep now. His anxious crying troubled his cousin and she hurried out of the room.

In the living room, Daphne was worriedly rocking and singing to the child, but she was having very little success. Alice heard Niles talking in the next room; from the conversation, she surmised that Niles had called Roz, seeking advice on what to do for David.

A moment later, he bustled out of the room.

"Okay. I talked to Roz and she said if David isn't hungry and doesn't seem to be hurting or sick, he might have had a nightmare."

"Oh, Davy, is that true?" Daphne crooned softly. "You don't need to be afraid. Mommy and Daddy are here, and your Cousin Alice."

"We won't let anything happen to you," Alice said in a sing-song voice.

Their attempts to soothe the baby didn't work. Daphne looked worriedly at Niles, and he nodded slightly as if he read her mind.

"I guess our only choice is to let him 'cry it out'," Niles said, guilt in every syllable.

Daphne was almost in tears. David hadn't been like this since he was a very young baby.

David's wails could be heard all over the vast apartment and every minute that passed seemed to take a toll on Niles and Daphne's confidence. Alice looked at them searchingly for a few moments before deciding to take matters into her own hands. She slipped away unnoticed, and moments later she was creeping up the stairs.

Just minutes later, the baby's cries began to get quieter and less frequent.

"I'll go tuck him in bed," Niles said to his relieved wife.

When he entered the nursery, he was surprised to see Alice there, sitting by the crib, in the light of David's football-shaped nightlight (a gift from Martin). David was only whimpering softly now, and even that was growing less frequent. Niles paused in the doorway for a moment, watching—and listening to—his niece. She was reading in a droning voice from some book.

"Richard Nixon won the 1968 election, although it was a very close call…"

Niles smiled at Alice's unconventional way of calming his son. He slipped away, knowing that David was in good hands.

A few moments later Alice glanced back and saw that her baby cousin was sound asleep. Smiling, she whispered a goodnight and quietly left the room.

Niles and Daphne were waiting for her downstairs after a whispered conversation—how was it that a nine-year-old girl with no siblings knew how to calm David when his _parents'_ attempts failed?

"David's asleep," Alice said quietly.

"What did you do to make him go to sleep?" Daphne asked. She knew the answer, but didn't want Alice to think Niles had been 'spying' on her.

"I read my history book to him and pretended to be my history teacher, Mrs. Stokes. She makes students fall asleep in class because of the way she talks. Al—another boy in class says she just hates elementary school and wants to work at a high school."

"Clever girl," Daphne said. "Now come to dinner. I've made black pudding."

Off of Alice's horrified look, she laughed good-naturedly.

"Kidding. We're having your Grandpa Martin's Frito Pie."

Laughing, Alice joined her aunt and uncle in the living room.

David was quiet through the rest of the night while his parents and his cousin played games and watched a movie. Daphne even let Alice stay up past her bedtime.

"It's our little secret," she told her niece slyly.

Alice hoped that her parents would go out of town again soon.

* * *

**The End**

**A/N: I have all the maternal instincts of a rock so I don't know if this story is believable in terms of baby behavior. It was fun to branch out a little and write a David story, though.**

**p.s. 'Black pudding' is a blood sausage. Yes, you heard that right.**

**Frito pie is Fritos topped with chili and cheese. Very tasty.**


End file.
